Summer Camp-Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: FIRST DAY

The sun had just risen over the horizon gleaming on the calm lake. Sunshine filled our small wooden cabin with bright, warm light. I was awake but was dreading to get up and start the day. I didn’t want to accept the fact that I was spending my entire summer at this stupid camp. I was supposed to be going to the mall with my friends and spending time with my boyfriend, Brett. I was supposed to be having fun, not hiking in the woods with all these gross bugs.

It’s my mom who is making me be here. She says that camping will help bring me “back to earth.” She thinks I’m spoiled rotten by my dad, her ex-husband. Just because he takes care of me and is being a good dad, doesn’t mean I’m spoiled.

I didn’t get any sleep last night. These bunk beds aren’t as nearly comfortable as my queen sized bed at home. Home, oh how much I missed home. I wanted to be with Brett again and talk about the latest gossip with my friends. It’s the first full day and I’m already homesick. The bugs here are annoying, and the humidity is irritating me. Camping wasn’t my hobby, shopping is. Gucci, Chanel, Guess, you name it. I could pretty much live in a shopping mall and never be bored with it.

I finally opened my eyes. The fluorescent lights irritated my eyes. I had to rub them a few times. After recovering my vision I could see from the corner of my eyes the girls staring at me.

“You got a problem?” I asked angrily as I sat up. Ever since I got here I felt like an outsider. Everyone just stared at me. I mean I was used to being stared at, for my looks and style, but not because I was different.

“Well, it’s seven and time to go to the breakfast hall,” a quiet girl looking at the ground answered shyly. I felt bad. I wasn’t trying to be rude, but they’re just not making it easy for me. All of them were, well, not my type of people. They were nice, but they didn’t share my interests. Our styles were different entirely too. They all wore the same tan colored khaki shorts, their camp shirt, and dirty flip flops. I guess that’s regular camp attire, but I’ve never been anywhere near a camp before so I wouldn’t know. Saying I was overdressed would be an understatement. I was completely and entirely overdressed.

I wasn’t hungry, so I just ignored them. After a while of me ignoring they all left for breakfast. I decided to save myself the embarrassment and stay in the cabin. Can you believe it? I was embarrassed. That’s a first for me. I’m usually the one to embarrass other people, not the other way around. I didn’t like being stared at negatively by all of the other girls. Jealously was my guess, but still I didn’t like that feeling.

I took my cell phone out of the loose floorboard under my bed. I had to hide my cell phone because the counselor said, “All cell phones cannot be used at camp.” I rolled my eyes. I could not go without my Blackberry and wouldn’t trust them with it. They collected them if you brought it and were going to give them back after camp, but I just told them I didn’t bring mine.

I was feeling down and decided to call my Brett. It rang and went to his voicemail. “Sup this is Brett, leave me something.” Dang, he’s probably at football camp. Brett is the captain of the varsity football team. He is going to be a senior this year, and I am going to be a junior. We have been going out for a year and I’m in love with him.

After about an hour the girls returned. They were laughing as they came in, but I knew they were faking, trying to belittle me. My friends and I have used that trick a few times, but I never realized how immature it was until now.

I quickly hid my phone back under the floor. If they were to find it, I don’t know what they would do. They’d probably snitch on me and I couldn’t stand spending the summer away from my friends let alone not being able to talk to them.

“You’re still in bed you lazy bum,” one of the girls coughed up the nerve to say. She had black hair and patchy skin. I think she said her name was Sam, but I was unsure.

“Sleep is essential to a good complexion,” I answered then paused. “You should try it sometime.”

“What I’m going to try is to find out what your problem is. Just because you have fancy clothes, and a rich father doesn‘t mean you’re better than the rest of us!” she yelled.

This girl is crazy picking a fight with me. Oh my gosh! That’s it! If I get in a fight they’ll have to kick me out, and I will get to go home. I thought out my strategy. I didn’t want to get into a very physical fight, because this girl is huge. She would kill me, and I really didn’t want to die at the moment. My verbal comebacks weren’t very good though, so maybe I would just push her down and see what happens.

“Got nothin' to say, huh princess,” she said just as I leaped for her. I knocked her to the ground. She couldn’t have been hurt, but one of the other girls ran out, hopefully to get a counselor. I needed a counselor for two reasons. One, to get me out of this misery, and two to save me from dying.

The girl leaped right back at me. I dodged her and ran all around the cabin. She would never catch me. I was pretty fast, and with my smarts I had a chance. I jumped from side to side. As long as she doesn’t catch me I will survive.

Just then the doors flew open. “What is going on here?!” counselor Joan screamed.

“She pushed me down,” Sam said pointing a finger at me.

“Is this true?” Joan asked disappointedly.

I nodded my head. “Yes, it’s true. Am I going to be kicked out of camp?”

Please say yes, please say yes! I was biting my lip.

“No, you’re not kicked out. But, you do have to hike to the top of that hill,” she said pointing, “to the isolation cabin. I will give you time to pack up your things, and meet me at the office.”

Are you kidding me? I nearly killed myself and went out of my trouble for nothing. I was angry. No I was furious. After counselor Joan had left I burst into tears. I didn’t like crying in public. I didn’t like showing weakness, but I was so sad right now that I didn’t care.

“Are you okay?” the shy girl asked concerned.

“No, I’m not. I have to stay here!” I cried out.

“You mean you wanted to leave?”

“Of course I wanted to leave. I wanted to leave since the moment I got here.”

“Oh,” was all she said and went to her bunk.

I crammed all my things in my bag and was on my way to the office to face my doom.

As I exited the cabin I could hear cheers coming from my former campmates, they were obviously excited about my departure. In a way, I was somewhat thankful for this. Being in an isolation cabin all alone maybe wouldn’t be so bad. I would have all the time in the world to call my frien-… Oh shit! I forgot my phone under the floorboard. What am I going to do now. I can’t live without my Blackberry, it’s pretty much my life.

My thought process was interrupted when a group of runners crossed my path and one of the runners knocked me down. They didn’t bother to stop and apologize. I landed into the largest mud puddle I have ever seen. It was so huge that I wouldn’t even classify it as a puddle, it’s more like a pond.

“Are you alright?” a stranger with a rough yet smooth voice asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered as I looked up at the stranger who was now helping me up. I took his helping hand and was on my feet again. He was taller than I was. Roughly 5 foot nine. His eyes were an alluring sea green, and he was well built. After a few minutes of me just staring at him I decided maybe I should say something.

“Hi, I’m Beth. Thanks for helping me, I’m not very good on my feet as you probably can tell.”

“You’re welcome, and you might be a little less clumsy without three inch heels on,” he chuckled as he examined my Jimmy Choo sandals. They were, along with my whole outfit, covered in mud. These stains would never come out.

Before I could reply he spoke again.

“It’s nice to meet you Beth, sorry to leave so soon, but I have to go to work. See ya around,” he said with a wave and started jogging away.

“Okay,“ I replied with a wave. “Hey wait! What’s your name?” I hollered at him. Maybe I hollered a little too loudly because everyone around us turned to look at me. Chagrin washed over me, and I could tell that I was blushing.

He was chuckling again. "It's Jake," he hollered back.

"Jake," I muttered under my breath. It wasn’t necessarily my favorite name of all time, but it wasn’t too bad. What am I saying. I’m not even going to consider being friends with this kid. I couldn’t be. No, that is not possible.

Besides Brett all of my friends back home are girls. I’m the type of girl that falls for my guy friends….all of them. First grade, I was friends with Andy, by second grade we were dating, or whatever it’s called when your young. Same thing happened in third, fifth, and all of middle school. I met Brett my freshman year, and I fell for him. I can’t become friends with Jake, I just can’t.

My new “home” was on the top of the largest hill I have ever seen. Counselor Joan gave me a map and some rules that I had to follow. One of the rules said that I needed to get up every morning at six and help the kitchen staff, but that would never happen. Another said that I was supposed to remain in my cabin and not interact with my former campmates, that I wouldn’t have a problem with.

There are three other isolation cabins near mine, and mine has the best view. I can see the whole camp from my window, and I can even see the beach. The water was sparkling like diamonds, and shining like a new penny. There weren’t any people on the beach except for a guy who appeared to be the lifeguard. He looks a lot like Jake, actually I think it is Jake.

After unpacking my clothes in the surprisingly pretty wooden dresser, I pulled out my latest issue of Seventeen and began flipping through the pages. The magazine wasn’t holding my attention and my mind was wandering and I began thinking about Jake.

He was cute, but I had a boyfriend. A boyfriend I really loved. I missed him, I wanted to see him really badly. Our goodbye before leaving was….well, a little awkward. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, but we were rushed and I didn’t really get to tell him. I wish I could call him, but because of my stupidity I couldn’t.